Thunderbolt Ross will become the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World and his transformation could bring the MCU full circle from one of Bruce Banner's most memorable lines in The Avengers. The Hulk is a huge being of brute strength, speed, and power, but the Hulk identity is often more of a curse than a gift. Bruce initially had no control over when the Hulk would emerge, and he could only deal with the wreckage he caused once he reverted to himself. However, Bruce now has control over his green friend, merging the two into a shared personality.
Custom image by Ross Tanenbaum
Ross spent much of his career chasing down the Hulk, trying to use or destroy the devastating power he has. In Captain America 4, Ross' worst nightmare becomes a reality when he transforms into the Red Hulk. It's unclear how he'll become Red Hulk, but it's obvious from the trailer that he will be a force to be reckoned with. Footage from this year's D23 previewed his transformation and, according to a Marvel theory, it could reflect a tragic MCU quote.
Thunderbolt Ross' Red Hulk Transformation Will Parallel Bruce Banner's Tragic Avengers Line
The D23 footage of Captain America: Brave New World ended with Red Hulk's transformation, showing a full image of him in his buff and hairy-chested glory. In the footage, President Ross is delivering a speech when something goes wrong. He gets dragged down by Secret Service Agents and reemerges on the podium as Red Hulk, unleashing a mighty roar. According to a theory shared on Reddit by iamneel, Ross could have been attacked in an assassination attempt, which triggered the Red Hulk to emerge.
This would mirror one of Bruce Banner's most tragic lines when discussing his experience as the Hulk. In The Avengers, Banner says he got low and thought the only way out was to shoot himself. As he says, "I put a bullet in my mouth, but the other guy spit it out," revealing that there's no way out once someone becomes a Hulk. A scene featuring an assassination attempt that ends with Ross transforming would deliver on this line, as he gets shot but is saved by the Red Hulk, who knocks the bullet out. It's also a full-circle moment as Thunderbolt Ross becomes what he used to despise.
Who Is Trying To Kill President Ross?
The officially released Captain America: Brave New World trailer showed Isaiah Bradly failing to kill the president, so his Red Hulk transformation likely wouldn't be the first assassination attempt. However, it's unknown who brainwashed Isaiah into attacking the president. There are multiple options for who it could be. Giancarlo Esposito's Sidewinder could lead the charge to kill the president through corruption and scheming with his Serpent Society. It could also be Tim Blake Nelson's The Leader, whose plans are still unknown.
The Leader and Sidewinder could work together, forming the ultimate evil coalition that Sam Wilson will have to defeat. There are plenty of details still unknown about Captain America: Brave New World, which is good as it creates speculation until the film's premiere. Whoever tries to kill President Ross may regret it once he goes into Red Hulk mode.
